circumcision

Kristy - posted on 02/13/2010
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Hi im from Australia and gave birth to a boy on friday 13th November and am unsure about circumcision. I want to weigh up all the pros and cons associated with it. My partner is circumcised but no male members in my family are? Does it have any health benefits? Or should I just let him choose when he is older?

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Tara - posted on 02/20/2010

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To answer your question Kristy.....let him choose when he is older. No medical organization in the world recommends circumcision.http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/In fact, most recommend against it, and circumcision of girls and boys is actually banned in some hospitals.

Having a foreskin is actually a benefit to a male. In fact, all male mammals have one. It is there to protect the penis and keep it clean. So all this talk about it being hard to keep clean or prone to infections is just misinformation being spread by people who are not up to date on their information.

And all this about how it hurts more to get circumcised when they are older is actually not at all true either. Babies have been found to be more sensitive to pain than adults. And babies cannot tolerate the level of pain relief needed to totally manage pain for a circumcision, whereas a grown man is.

The facts are this, No medical organization in the world recommends it.There are no proven health benefits.The foreskin is there to protect the penis and keep it clean.Kids don't care if they look like Daddy or not.Circumcision hurts period, no matter what the age.The foreskin contains some of the most sensitive nerve endings on the body(similar to the clitoral hood on women)It is His body and it should be His choice. and there is absolutely no good reason for it not to be his choice.

The data about circumcision being more sanitary or guarding against infection is a bit misleading. There are slightly more UTIs in uncircumsized newborn boys vs circumsized - but it's still much less than the average number of UTIs in newborn girls, and we're not doing any routine surgeries to prevent UTIs in newborn girls. The foreskin actually acts like a self-cleaning mechanism - kinda like your eyelid for your eye. It's not an evolutionary mistake, it serves a purpose. We chose not to circumcize our son - even though my husband is circumcized - and he's over a year old, no infections, healthy as a horse. If you decide not to do it, please look into how to care for an uncircumsized penis because you shouldn't pull the foreskin back to clean your son's penis until it retracts on its own.

my son is 4yrs old now and i have to fight with him everyday to pull his skin back to clean the inside of his penis and he hates it and starts crying cuz he wont do it so i have to do it for him and he dosnt like anybody touching his penis and he says it hurts him.

It probably hurts because you're forcing the foreskin to retract before it's ready. In most cases, the foreskin doesn't naturally retract on its own until the kid is at LEAST 5 years old, and often it's even later than that.

From a website of Canadian pediatricians:

Keep your baby’s penis clean by gently washing the area during his bath. Do not try to pull back the foreskin. Usually, it is not fully retractable until a boy is 3 to 5 years old, or even until after puberty. Never force it.When the foreskin separates, skin cells will be shed and new ones will develop to replace them. These dead skin cells will work their way down the penis through the tip of the foreskin and may look like white, cheesy lumps. These are called smegma. If you see them under the skin, you don’t need to force them out. Just wipe them away once they come out.When the foreskin is fully retractable, teach your son to wash underneath it each day.

So if you stop forcibly pulling his foreskin back to clean under it, you'll probably have much less of a fight on your hands.

and you will have a hell of a time finding a dr willing to do it anyway because there is a new push to determine the actual legality of it (most dr's won't do it when their patients might grow up and decide to sue them):

The first time I got pregnant I researched the pros and cons and I was HORRIFIED at all misinformation out there but the facts break down to this:

circumcision rates (depending on who you believe) are between 5-20% in Aus . . your boy will NOT be teased in school if he is not circumcised.

It is not 'cleaner'. Like a vagina it is pretty much self cleaning and if another mother tells you it is difficult to teach a boy how to clean it then she obviously has no experience with penises (that is MY opinion obviously).

A medical circumcision will remove the whole foreskin . . .which contains about 75% of all the special tingly nerve endings in the penis. If you circumcise your boy he will only ever be capable of achieving one quarter of the orgasm that he was born capable off :o(

The risks associated with circumcision (bleeding, infection, death, unintentional mutilation and healing incorrectly) are all statistically more likely than the probability that your son will ever experience trauma or a medical issue that will require him to need one at a later stage.

And no you do not have to believe me :o) I beg you to do your own research, there are thousands of websites both pro and con - the only thing to really notice is that when you are on a 'pro' website there will not be many (if any) reference or links to corroborate claims, on a 'con' website you will find links to the Australian Cancer Council (which states quite strongly that circumcision does NOT reduce the risk of any type of cancer) and the Australian Medical Board which came out officially in 2002 to state that there was NO medical reason for a boy to be medically circumcised at birth.

It's a touchy subject, so good on you for doing your research! One last thing to think about - In most of the UK and Europe male circumcision is actually considered just as horrible as female circumcision and is frowned upon quite strongly (with the exception of religious circumcision, which is a completely different procedure), it is really only the US were it is considered routine still.

1) The medical "facts" of Dr Schoan(?) mentioned early came off a pro circumcision website. The 'facts' were hand picked to support his case. The facts remain, again as mentioned in numerous previous posts, circumcision affords a teeny tiny decrease in infection, HIV infection, urinary infections etc. But you have to remember that the number of these infections in circumcised/uncircumcised men in very, very low anyways. So is it worth it to have your baby circumcised? The evidence for circumcision is just not there.

2) I have helped at circumcisions as a nurse and I'm telling you it is not nice. Many doctors do not use a anesthetic, or they use a numbing cream. The babies are noted to be in discomfort. One baby we had did not cry but most wiggle and try to get away and then cry. The penis bleeds and weeps. It must stay covered with petroleum jelly and gauze or it will stick to the diaper. The wound burns when the baby urinates.

3) My son is not circumcised. (Born in the UK, raised in the US.) His father is circumcised. It has never been a problem that he 'didn't look like his father'. He is in sports and in the locker room with other boys. Also he has never had any infections of any kind.He is 16 now and glad we did not have it done. It can always be done later if it becomes a problem. But you are the one that needs to decide what the best thing is to do. If you do not have it done, remember what another poster said in that you should not pull back the foreskin until your son is older and the foreskin will retract easily.

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Tanya - posted on 02/21/2010

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Hi, I had my boys done (both under 1 month of age) and we think it was a great decision. Not really sure the reason, but the "what if"they got an infection in later years and needed it done then......not worth it. I am a nurse working in theatres and have performed circumcisions on teenagers and adults and ......OOOUCH!!!! If you are thinking that you might, do it soon. I know someone who was talked out of having it on their son as a baby, but then he needed it done when he was 2 (much worse for him). Don't worry about being "a little different"from the masses, who wants to be the same anyway!!!!!

Hi Kristy, I have just gone through this with my daughter concerning my 3rd grandson. If you don't make a decision soon you will have to wait until your son is 6 months old and then he will have to go under a general. Some doctors circumcise without a general up to 3 months old. Between 3 months and 6 months you can do nothing. I do believe circumcise is a must, why well, so many of my friends have had trouble with their boys whilst growing up, infections and the like. After awhile they had their sons circumcised because there was no more to be done, other than more infections. It was a terrible operation and so so painful for their sons and them. They wished they had circumcised sooner. So all I can say is make a decision soon and be happy with your answer, you and your hubby are only doing the best for your son and that's all you can do. Good luck and with regards Cos. xo

I say No, I have 2 boys, one done and one not. The reason it was said to be more hygenic was that people use to wash less often than they do nowdays. My son who was done was only done when he was 3 as it was thought he was getting a lot of infections, this was not the case as it was worse after he was circumcised it was determined that he actually has dermatitis, he was in so much pain after he was done and if I could go back in time I would not have had him done. Most Drs won't do it now anyway..... just ask yourself if it was a girl would you get her done like they do in some tribes... I think not, babies have bleed to death and they do not give them generals or any pain medication.

Hello Kristy. My son is 8 yrs old now and I didn't have him circumcised. I really didn't see any point in getting a little bit of extra skin removed. Before I had my son I found out the men in my family are not circumcised so that kind of helped me make my decision. And as my mother would say, God made you as he intended to! I hope I was some kind of help. But good luck to you and your family.

hi Kristy, This is such a hard decision to make. I did so much research into this when i found out i was having a boy. My husband desperately wanted him circumcised, i had worked in a hospital and seen circumcision of new borns and didn't want that done to my baby..... in the end we agreed to have him circumcized but under anaesthetic at 6 mths of age. You will never find the "right" answer on this question, there are so many "fore and against" reasons. I personally felt it inhumane to do this proceedure without any anaesthetic, which is how it was done at the hospital in Perth my son was born in. (2 yrs ago). So we chose to wait till he was 6mths old and could have the proceedure done with NO pain what so ever, he didn't even feel the drip go in his arm due to Emla cream. My husband was with him through the entire proceedure and was cuddling him when he woke from the anaesthetic. Good luck with your quest, you will hear many stories and opinions, do what you feel is best for your son, husband and family.

Why would you want to? why inflict pain on someone for no reason.. if he needs to have the operation later in life for a medical reason get it done then. i dont think we should take someone's tonsil's out just incase they get tonsillitis later in life so why should parents rob their shild of a foreskin.

hi Kristy, This is such a hard decision to make. I did so much research into this when i found out i was having a boy. My husband desperately wanted him circumcised, i had worked in a hospital and seen circumcision of new borns and didn't want that done to my baby..... in the end

Wow! You've gotten a lot of replies! We choose to not circumcise our son because my husband (his father) is not circumcised and neither is his father - and neither my husband nor my father-in-law have ever had any problems. I believe that most old boys or adult men who have infections due to having their foreskin intact is because they were either 1) never taught how to properly clean their penis or 2) were lazy and never cleaned it properly. (Like that guy someone mentioned earlier who got a seed in his penis - why wasn't he able to pull his own foreskin back to get the seed out?)

As far as leaving the foreskin intact reduces the risk of contacting an STD.... I think that's a load of crap. Safe sex (condom every time or abstinence until marriage) is the only sure fire way to prevent contacting an STD. Plus, you can find LOTS of information online about how that study in Africa was flawed. For one, they gave the circumcised men (they volunteered to get circumcised as adults) safe sex education and condoms. The 'control group' of the uncircumcised men weren't given any safe sex education or condoms.... so I really don't see how that is a valid study.

The #1 pro for NOT circumcising in my book is that you don't have to take special care of the penis. For me, so many of my friends circumcise their boys and then have to take extra care of their infant son's penis to make sure the foreskin doesn't grow back (which it does) - and I just could not have handled that when I was recovering from birthing my son in the first place. Of course your son is already a few months old, so that's not going to be the same for you.

Also, I don't know how many adolescent boys really feel like they should get circumcised when they are older to 'fit in' here in the States. I hear that circumcisions are down to about 50% of all boys getting circumcised - so the numbers of intact boys and men are growing here in the States at least. And, if you are concerned that your son will feel that way - it is even more important to make sure your son feels love and acceptance at home within his own family. That is the only way to help children have self-confidence since kids will always find a way to make fun of another kid, whether they have an intact penis or not.

Anyway... it all comes down to personal choice and what you and your husband feel will be best for your son.

I know this is such a touchy subject. But PLEASE leave your son alone!

The amputation/surgery is extremely painful. The foreskin is fused to the shaft of the penis, often until puberty. It must be RIPPED away and then cut off. There are about 15,000-20,000 specialized nerve endings in the foreskin that will be cut off and thrown away. I guarantee you, if you ask any man if he'd like to have a larger & more nerve-filled penis, he'd say yes!

*It is a myth that circumcision prevents infections!* Besides, infections can be treated with medications. Would you want to have your labia removed to, theoretically, reduce your chances of getting a yeast infection? Of course not!

The foreskin is there for a reason. In fact, it's there for MANY, many, many good reasons! Leave it alone! Only clean what is seen (in other words, NEVER retract the foreskin! Ever!!!) & just leave it alone. Your son will thank you one day!

Neither one of my children are & there father is.. never had any problems with either one of them. No infections or anything like that. Figure they were born that way, why should I change them. They are perfect & still are!

Oh, by the way, our first boy had it done with only an anesthetic cream and seemed to do OK with it although he did cry. Our second we had a different Mohel that did it with a local antithetic shot. It was amazing! He slept through the entire procedure, shot and everything! So find someone that does it that way!

The younger the better. We had both of our sons done at 8 days old. Cultural reasons but it will also avoid infections later. We are in the US where most boys are circumcised but if you go on a forum where young boys are talking about it, the ones that are not circumcised are wishing they were and contemplating having it done even in their teens when it would hurt like you know what in the short term.

The younger the better. We had both of our sons done at 8 days old. Cultural reasons but it will also avoid infections later. We are in the US where most boys are circumcised but if you go on a forum where young boys are talking about it, the ones that are not circumcised are wishing they were and contemplating having it done even in their teens when it would hurt like you know what in the short term.

We had our son circumcised and I would never do it again. He was so upset. After talking to our pediatrician we basically came up with 6 one way half a dozen the other. We had a couple of people tell us they knew people who ended up with infections as adults and had the surgery at an older age and swore they would have rather been circumcised as a baby. I know my baby has never been that upset agin and he was only 2 weeks old. It took me an hour to calm him and he is not the kind of baby to cry easily. I don't think I would do it again.

dont know if this helps but I have 3 sons and my eldest had to have it done as part of an operation he was having done. He is now 8 and is very consious that his is different from his brothers and others in his class. The other two have never had any problems with theirs and I have never felt the need to pull their skin back to clean it!!! I woud say if its not broke dont fix it as it just makes him "different".

Hi Kristy. I'm from Aus too - I had the same dilemma with my son (who is now 7 1/2 months old). I left the decision up to my husband who is circumcised and well, really, knows more about his "business" than I do. We also made the decision to go ahead to prevent any possible problems in the future. We had to travel to Brisbane to have the procedure done as no one would disuss it with us here in Canberra. My husband came across a Dr Terry Russell who has a new approach to the procedure which is virtually pain free (he used numbing creams and as my son was 5 1/2 months at the time was able to have a ml of pethadine to prevent him from kicking about) and made us (me inparticular!) feel very informed and relaxed about the whole thing. We did not experience any problems after the procedure and my son continued acting as normal - a happy, active and very cheeky boy.

Wherever you get it done, I would advise to get it done wile he's young rather than wait. It could be more painful when he's older and also he will be more aware it. Plus trying to explain it to him why it's being done could be a little harrowing.

I have a son hes 5 months and i got him circumsized. i ve also known a few people who arent and they wish their parents had gotten them circumsized. One was a family member and he got alot of infections when he was younger. it also takes alot more maintenance. And its definatley better to do it when they are younger it turns out better and they heal alot faster.

Hello, I had two boys in the '70s. The older one we circumcised right away, no problems. Later when the second baby boy came along, he had difficulties... a collapsed lung. He spent some time in a Neo-Natal Unit, and circumscision was not possible for him. We were military. When we persued the issue the Ped. told us to teach our son good hygiene and let him decide when he was an adult. This is what we did. He wishes we would have had the procedure done when he was 2... He was taught good hygiene, has always been very clean, has had no problems, but as a young man..... has expressed his opinion. Hope this helps... Edye

My oldest of 4 sone, now 26 had a simular thing. When he was around 12ish, he came to me asking if something on his penis "looked right". A small, maybe 2cm, part had grown together. It wasn't hurting him but we let the doctor look at it to be sure. The decision was made to deaden the area and with a "snip" it was taken care of and my son is glad we did it. I didn't experience it with any of my othe rboys.

Good luck with it and defently have it done while he's still younger. And its deadened ,, I can only imagine that its not very comportable :(

It is very difficult for you to get a circumcision for a baby boy in Queensland anyway - most doctors won't do it now. I think that there is a doctor in Aspley who does it - but not until the baby is 2 years old. If I were you, I'd ask around about how to get one before I worried about whether or not to get one - I'm fairly sure that your mind will be made up for you by the paucity of doctors willing to do a circumcision.

I wouldn't do it at all. It was for religous reasons that was a Jewish covenant before Jesus came and is totally unnecessary! I watched a video of how it was done once and it turned my stomach. They strap them in a car seat like device so they can't move and then just take a scalpel and cut it off. The baby boy cried so hard he through

up. I think it is barbaric. There is NO medical reason to do it now days & it isn't recommended now by the pediatric Drs.

Some Dr's give a local during the procedure, or use the bell ring Anyway it is done it does hurt the baby.

Some fathers want their son's to look like them so they put their son's through it.

If for some reason it should become medically necessary later he would receive anesthrsia & follow up medication for the pain. ( it is a much bigger deal when they are older if that is their choice or has to be done.)

Hi Kristy as another Australian who has two boys 11 and 3 I totally understand how you are worried if you are doing the right thing. We have both our boys circumcised and it was for the benefit of them not us.

We have had friends with boy not done (five of them) and they have had to be done in later life (6,9,11,14 and 15 different ages)- it is alot more trumatic if this does happen but they do get over it...mind you they say it feels the same as not being circumcised - not that they have had any sexual experience at that age.

We got both our boys done in the first six weeks of their lives. There are different ages that it is recommended to have them done with a general or a local. When they are very young they can't remember having it and they know no different. Our older son says he doesn't care being different to others, and nobody says anything to him.

There was a study over in South Africa about two tribes (true story and it was on TV) one tribe had all the males circumcised and the other didn't. There was a fifty percent higher rate of infections and AIDs tranfers in the NON circumcised tribe than the in the circumcised - now I believe this may have also been on 60mins Aust (my hubby just said and yes he is circumcised).

We have no doubt that we did the right thing for our children and hope that you make your decission on you belief in what is right for you son.

One way or another you make your decisions for your children to benifit them and to help them live a long and happy life.

hi there, i live in perth and had the same dilemma.. my husband is done and wanted our boys (we have 2) done. i was really against having it done but both our boys got an infection in there penis which was quiet painful for them. after seeing that happen and talking to the surgeon about it, i agreed to do it. i would rather have them done than see them get that sort of infection again. my youngest was about 15 months when he had it done and the my other son was just over 2... i am glad we got it done now. i havent had any problems with them now. the older they are when they have it done tho, the more painful it is.. my youngest didnt feel a thing because the nerve endings are not quite there at 15 months, where as my 2 year old was in a lot of pain. so i do suggest that if you are going to get it done, do it soon. my boys are now 2nhalf and 3nhalf. hope that helps with your decision...

also, something else that made my decision easier was that they were both put under a general anaesthetic to have it done..

How many times does it have to be stated. You do NOT retract an infant's foreskin!!!!!!! This is one of the reasons adult men have problems with their foreskins (though those problems are typically few and far between). Leave the darn thing alone until it retracts on its own.. many years later!!

It does have health benefits. If they are not, they are prone to bacteria under the skin fold, and if not pulled back and cleaned properly as an infant it will cover the head of the penis and tear and bleed when pulled back.My husband wasn't and I have lost count of the bacterial infections he has had and given me.

I'm sure your information depends on which web site you go to. You should make your decision based on what YOU and YOUR husband want not what you read in a post that any one can put their own views into. I personaly had no boys but I do have two grandsons and they are both circumcised and are great.

Hi, if you choose not to circumcise here are the benefits. Protection for the penis, added pleasure for him during sex and my own person feelings are that God doesn't make mistakes. When my first son was born, I had the doctor do it. I could hear him screaming from my hospital room. Then the cut got infected and while it was trying to heal, he cryed everytime he peed and when I had to clean and apply med. Last, what does a newborn feel about his world when he is forced to be cut. It's not a happy thing. The only negative to not having it done is that you have to teach the child to pull the foreskin back to clean at bathtime when he is old enough. My twins, born later, we not circumcised, as are many of their friends. It is more common now to keep it than it was 20 years ago. Hope this helps!

these days the health benefits are negligable. It used to be a religious practice , then during the wars became a common practice due to poor hygiene and increased infection in the trenches. People then thought it was a good idea to prevent infection. We don't live in the trenches and I would hope we have improved hygiene. There are a small % of boys that will need it done for medical reasons, as with a % who will need to have tonsils or appendix removed at some stage. SHould we just hold them down and doo these procedures just in case?? Current thinking now is to leave it alone, less than 10% of boys are circumcised these days so they will be the ones who are different from their firends. As for keeping it clean the foreskin does not naturally retract until about 3 or 4 years of age and even then shouldn't be retracted unneccessarily. My boys are 7 and 9 and I have NEVER retracted their foreskins or fussed about them cleaning it, and we have NEVER had an issue, the less you fiddle the better

I have 3 boys and chose NOT to circumcise them, My hubby is circumcised and was totally butchered and has some horrific scarring. My reasons for not doing it are simple, if it aint broke don't fix it. I have physically had to hold babies down for the procedure and you can't tell me they don't feel it. Most boys today are not done. My boys are able to clean themselves and the current thinking is the less interferance the better

I live in QLD and I had my son circumcised. Dr Terry Russell at MacGregor did his and I was 100% happy with how it went. If you go to his web site it lists a number of medical reasons why it is beneficial to have it done. He specializes in circumcision so he might be able to tell you of someone in your area that can help you. My son was more upset at be kept still then the proceeder, he didnt feel any pain. http://www.circumcision.com.au/

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I have no proof or scientific evidence one way or another, but I think there's no point in causing pain when you don't have to. True, they won't remember it when they're younger, but that doesn't mean there isn't pain and trauma that can cause problems later on.

I personally felt uncomforble with the thought of circumcision. Intuitively, I felt that if God had put that skin there, then why would man take it off? This troubled me, but, fortunately I had two girls. I do know if I would have had a boy, I wouldn't have done it.

I think it is too stressful for the baby and also, my Dad was never circumcised and he never had any problems with infections.

Has had no problems yet...how about when he is older and no longer has you to wash it for him??? What about his nocturnal emissions when he is a teen?? He will run into problems eventually...maybe not with cleanliness but, in other ways. It is hard enough to be an adolescent in the locker room, imagine how it would be if you were viewed as "different"...think about the future!

From a medical standpoint...do it. My son's father was not and I asked his mom if it was a religous practice or what...she wished she had had his done as a baby. He had constant yeast infections under the foreskin and several UTIs...the foreskin holds in moisture that builds up during the day and is very hard to keep clean and dry which leads to yeast infections...babies also won't remember it. They give them a little bit of sugar water which acts as an anesthetic for a baby and they use special instrumentation to clip it quickly and less painfully...it is a very wise choice!

First off absolutely you do not want to get circumcised when you are older!! Oh! The pain....having this done as a child is waaaaay better!! Health benifits...out weigh the uncumcircumsed....you cut down the probabilities of so many kinds of cancer and other sexual diseases. It's definately a good thing..even the bible advocates it!

I think it's best to leave it the way it was made. I think most people get there boys circumcised because it looks more "normal".. I don't think there any real health benefits to doing it-- it was a religious custom that became the "norm"

I puzzeled over the decision before my son was born. If you are not bound by religious custom there in very very little clinical reason to have the procedure. It is not hard to clean and the risk of infection in the uncercumcised is clinically insignificant over circumcised! It is cosmetic, nothing more. I find it strange that in the west we are abhored by female circumcision but male is considered no big deal.

I would recomend logging onto pubmed or doing a search on google scholar regarding circumcision and risk vs bennifit, also speak to you pediatrician. Many are not recomending the procedure. You should make the decision for youself but know the facts before surgically altering your child forever.

I had a friend who once she got married had one vaginal infection after another. When she finally convinced her husband to get a circumcision at the age of 40 she got no more infections. Her husband said he wished his parents had given him the circumcision when he was an infant than him having to choose when he was in his 40's. Hope this helps.

Whatever you decide you should do it fast. The longer you wait the harder it will be on him. pain wise as well as the fear factor. Better to do it while he is an infant so he will heal faster and not remember. Circumcision is mostly cosmetic. Most people think it looks better. But to me it is also cleaner. There are no extra folds for diaper messes to hide in and less of a chance for yeast infection. for some people to have it done or not is based on their religeous beliefs. My son is circumcised. I made my husband take him when he was two days old. i was a chicken and didn't want to see it. But i believe he will be happier in the long run.

My hubby is and he did not want my son to be circumcised. We have a wonderful Pediatrician who said he did not circumcise his boys and it was not so much a health concern because people are a lot cleaner now days and that it really shouldn't be done unless it is for religious reasons.